Not statuesque
The statues debate needs to consider the fundamental purpose of statues of historical figures. That purpose is the honoring of the person. If that person, on or off of a horse, had a life of exceptional honor, the statue is legitimate. If his or hers was not a life of honor and noble deeds the statue is not deserved.
It should be noteworthy that only men seem to merit statues; we’re more likely to judge whether a woman is ‘statuesque’. If you can find for me a statue of any of the countless courageous women in history, let me know. Yes, there are statues of the madonna and child, but none to be seen on the public square. The argument of the “sanitation of history” is relatively pointless. The history is well-documented and hardly needs embodiment in statuary to inform us.
Ironically, I’ll wager that those who most press the history argument are the folks who know little and care less for history.
Ernest Henninger
Harrodsburg
This story was originally published August 18, 2017 at 4:10 PM with the headline "Not statuesque."